This invention relates to water-dispersed polymers in aqueous coatings and more particularly to cross-linking mercaptan groups on the polymers with bis-maleimide.
The aqueous coatings containing a polymer having pendant mercaptan groups and the bis-maleimide can be electrodeposited onto a cathode substrate and, thus, can be employed as a cathodic electrocoating composition as described in co-pending application Ser. No. 708,106. The aqueous coatings also can be applied to a substrate by conventional techniques such as dipping, rolling, spraying, and like techniques. The applied film of the aqueous coating composition is curable by heat, ultraviolet radiation, and ionizing radiation (electron beam) wherein the bis-maleimide cross-links the polymer, and such curing is independent of the particular method of application of the coating composition.